As the “El Grito” celebration gets underway outside the Mexican consulate on India Street, CBS 8 is diving deeper into the meaning of “El Grito” and its significance to Mexican culture. “You’ll see people coming together in the streets and really hanging out as a community, as a collective because it was that kind of social movement,” said Dr. Ramona Pérez, Director of the Center for Latin American Studies at San Diego State University. The “El Grito” celebration pays homage to the rallying cry for independence made by Father Miguel Hidalgo in 1810. It was a call to the Mexican people to rise up against the Spaniards after 3 centuries of Spanish rule.